Injuries by scaffolding at work

1. Injuries Caused By Scaffolding Accidents According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), scaffold accidents cause approximately 60 deaths and 4,500 injuries each year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that in 2017 there were 3,288 scaffold violations, which makes it one of the ten most frequently cited workplace safety violations. Scaffolding accidents are common at construction sites. According to OSHA, 2.3 million construction workers (65 percent of the construction industry) work on scaffolding. In a BLS study, 72 percent of workers injured in scaffolding accidents said the cause of their accident was the formation of planks or the support, slippage or impact of an object that fell. This indicates that employers may not be making proper reference to OSHA safety standards, which specifically address the hazards of scaffolding and provide safety checklists to ensure compliance with industry standards. The Philadelphia workplace injury attorneys at Larry Pitt & Associates, P.C. They have represented injured workers in all types of scaffolding accidents, including those caused by: Incorrect installation Improper or uninsured cargo planks Inadequate employee training Lack of inspection

2. Lack of protection against falls Drop of tools, equipment or debris. Workers' compensation benefits In general, workers who are injured on the job are entitled to workers 'compensation benefits under the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act (the Act). Under the Act, employers must have workers' compensation insurance that provides employees with medical and wage replacement benefits in case they are injured on the job or contract an occupational disease. The workers' compensation system is not at fault, which means that workers can receive compensation for their injuries, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. However, workers' compensation benefits are limited and may not cover all of a worker's losses. Personal injury claims provide injured workers with more compensation options, such as pain and suffering. Therefore, an injured worker may decide to file a personal injury claim in addition to the workers' compensation claim. Claims by third parties When a party other than the employer is at fault for an employee's injuries, the injured worker may be entitled to additional compensation. Unlike a workers' compensation claim, which does not require proof of fault, a claim for personal injury requires that the accident be caused by the negligence of the third party. While employers are protected from being sued by workers for workplace injuries because they are covered by workers' compensation insurance, third parties are not, and can therefore be held liable under a lawsuit for personal injuries of third parties. In the construction industry, there are many third parties that may be responsible, depending on the circumstances of the accident, including: General Contractors Owners of the property Contractors / subcontractors Suppliers Scaffolding equipment manufacturers. Scaffolding installers Scaffolds are often owned by third-party leasing companies. If those companies improperly erected the scaffolding or violated OSHA regulations, their negligence may justify a third party personal injury lawsuit. Other circumstances that may give rise to a third party claim is when a scaffold has a defect in

3. its design, when a subcontractor negligently builds scaffolding, or when the owner of a property does not eliminate the hazards of the premises.